Integral flashing strip having relatively rigid and flexible sections



w M 5 MY A W 0 N R E 9 E 5 a N 2 V O R 4 ll\ E T 9 D L 3 A Y L m M. W P I m ONS BY MAHONEY MIL BY W P. D. POSEY INTEGRAL FLASHING STRIP HAVING REL Filed May 11, 1967 RIGID AND FLEXIBLE SECTI May 6, 1969 United States Patent US. C]. 52-62 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flashing strip consisting of an integral plastic extrusion providing an inner, flexible web portion and a relatively rigid outer cap section disposed in transversely contiguous and longitudinally coextensive relation.

This invention relates to an improved flashing strip which is useful as a weather seal in various locations on a building, for example, in sealing a joint at the upper projecting head portion of a window frame and the as sociated exterior wall surface of the building. The flashing strip is preferably formed as an integral one-piece extrusion from a suitable plastic material. It consists of a relatively flexible inner sealing web section and a relatively rigid cap section which are longitudinally coextensive and integrally joined with one another. In use, the flexible web portion of the strip may be resiliently flexed and bent so as to conform readily to a vertical wall surface while the rigid cap section of the strip is preformed to overlie the horizontal head member of a window or door frame.

General description of drawing The invention is illustrated in its preferred form in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the flashing strip of this invention applied to the projecting head portion of a window frame and the associated exterior wall structure of a building.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of a section of the flashing strip.

Detailed description With specific reference to the drawing, the flashing strip is indicated generally by the numeral 5 and is shown in FIGURE 2 in the substantially flat form it is made, preferably as an integral or one-piece plastic extrusion.

In FIGURE 1, the strip is shown mounted on an exterior.

building wall 6 in cooperation with the projecting head portion 7 of a window frame. of course, the strip can be used for weather sealing other joints, usually horizontally extending, and the application in FIGURE 1 is given as only one example.

The strip consists of an inner sealing web section 8 and an outer cap section 9 which are longitudinally coextensive and transversely contiguous and are integrally joined along a longitudinal line 10. In FIGURE 2, there is indicated an actual joint at the line 10 but this is not necessarily visible. The two webs 8 and 9 are flat and are disposed in the same plane but the cap web section 9 is provided with an integral depending flange or lip 11 normal to the flat body of the web and extending con tinuously along its outer free edge. The opposite edge of the strip is formed at the outer free edge of the web 5 and is parallel to the edge 11. Both web sections 8 and 9, as indicated above, are extruded from plastic as an integral strip. The cap web 9 is preferably formed of rela- 3,442,055 Patented May 6, 1969 tively rigid or semi-rigid vinyl plastic material while the anchoring web 8 is formed of a lower durometer, relatively flexible, vinyl plastic material, both webs being extruded simultaneously. The relatively rigid and softer sections may be of different compatible plastic compositions or maybe of the same plastic composition plasticized to different degrees and, according to the present invention, the latter is preferred. For example, a polyvinyl chloride compound may be used as the plastic material. The flexible web 8 preferably has a hardness of from 40A to A Shore durometer. The two plastic materials which form the different sections of the strip are integrally joined together at the orifice of the extrusion machine in a manner 'well known in the plastic extrusion art and this may or may not leave a visible joint along the line 10 previously mentioned.

When the flashing strip is used in the manner shown in FIGURE 1, the flexible sealing web 8 is turned upwardly and is disposed along the sheating 12 in substantially flat contact therewith, before the siding strip 13 or other finish veneer is applied, and is arranged so that the cap web 9 extends outwardly in flat covering relationship to the upper surface of the frame member 7 with the outer corner including the flange or lip 11 overlapping the upper and outer corner of the member 7. The flashing strip may be attached to the member 7 by staples 14 or other suitable fastening means.

The combining of the inner flexible sealing web 8 With the relatively more rigid outer cap web 9 makes it possible to have the flashing conform more accurately to the angularly disposed surfaces at the joint to be sealed without actually preforming a bend in the material. Furthermore, due to the flexible nature of the inner sealing web 8, the flashing strip is free to yield in accordance with thermal expansion or settling or contraction forces. Also, these advantages are obtained with a very simple and inexpensively formed strip which can be applied with ease.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. A flashing strip comprising an elongated, integral, sheet-form body of extruded plastic composition; said body including a generally rectangular, substantially rigid cap section having smooth, planar external surfaces, said cap section being formed along one longitudinal edge thereof with a coextensive, generally perpendicularly related corner-forming lip having the same degree of rigidity as said cap section; and a resiliently flexible, shapeconforming sealing web formed integral with the opposite longitudinal edge of said rigid cap section and forming a smooth, longitudinally coextensive, transverse continuation of said cap section, said sealing web having a hardness of from 40A to 90A Shore durometer and having a free edge portion capable of flexing movement between positions coplanar and perpendicular to said cap section.

References Cited. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,73 6,237 11/ 1929 Whitaker 52-62 2,721,819 10/ 1955 Munro 52-62 3,172,237 3/1965 Bradley 94-18 3,363,390 1/1968 Crane et a1. 52-716 HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner. S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-309, 716 

